River town reimagined

Incorporated in 1668, Amesbury sits at the confluence of the Powow and Merrimack rivers in the far northeast corner of Massachusetts. For centuries it was a powerhouse of industry — carriages, hats, textiles, and the legendary fishing dories still built by hand at Lowell's Boat Shop, the oldest continuously operating boat shop in America (since 1793). The 19th-century mills that once drove the economy now house breweries, restaurants, and indie shops, and the revitalized downtown has become one of the North Shore's best-kept secrets.

Home to roughly 17,300 residents, Amesbury offers a median household income of $101K, a median age of 44, and a community that blends historic character with modern energy. Josiah Bartlett — the first signer of the Declaration of Independence — was born here. John Greenleaf Whittier, the famed poet and abolitionist, spent most of his life here. Al Capp created Li'l Abner here. And today, a new generation of entrepreneurs is writing Amesbury's next chapter from the same brick buildings their predecessors built.

The real estate market reflects the momentum. Here's a decade of data.